Video: Finding Flow in RVA

 Thanks! We are really blessed with a great trail system in the heart of Richmond and to have awesome organizations that promote riding and keep the trails well maintained!

 Yeah I'm hoping to make a trip down there this summer! Super stoked!

 video made me want to go . but then i saw 1.5 miles of trail .... wahhhh wahhhhh

sidenote: no rocks?

 Wow! I'm from RVA, and moved to the mountains in '04. Jimmy McMillan and I started opening up the trail that led from the Nickel Bridge north to Powhite Park...this was around 2001 or so. You used to be able to ride all the Buttermilk stuff, the Bell Isle steep stuff and ride through some neighborhoods up to Powhite and back down. It was about 30 miles all said and one. I went back recently and it has exploded. Really cool to see how many people are using those trails now. I knew everyone that rode back in the day, and now there's even a bike shop in Forest Hill. Healthy people! A far cry from the RVA I knew.

 @Takeshi194 One of the reasons we love Dogwood Dell is because it is a super fun trail that you can easily get to and have a quick ride. It is our go-to trail for any ride where time is limited. If you want something more you can go to the longer trails like North Bank, Buttermilk, or the Forest Hill Loop which are also more technical trails, because like we said, Dogwood "...is one of the only trails designed specifically for flow."

 @jackamderson2018 sick! Thanks for the heads up!

 R U Kidding?

 Thanks!

 Thank you!

 You really should be excited to visit, it is a great town for riding and has an amazing mountain biking community! @MTBing

 I think only one turn on the whole trail is blind, it's generally very open so you are able to see if someone is coming towards you. it works as a circle, cut in half with two trailheads opposite each other, one at the top of the hill and one at the bottom. a lot of the features work both ways, and neither half of the circle is completely up or completely down. This trail is part of a bigger network of trails in Richmond, all of which are bi-directional. It allows for some changeability in an otherwise circular network.

 Thanks man! @parryl36

 Thank you! Glad you liked it!

 Well @mtbrider119 , to answer part of your question, yes, I will sometimes have issues with my eyes watering, and the goggles solve that. Mainly, the way they help is by blocking off a bit of my lower peripheral vision, so that I can not see my front wheel when riding. This causes/reminds me to focus more on the trail ahead of me. By doing so, I can react faster to what I see and therefore have the opportunity to ride faster. What I'm not trying to say is that buying goggles will make you faster. I spent a lot of time training my eyes to look farther ahead, and the goggle are mainly there to A. force me to continue doing so, and B. remind me to always look further ahead down the trail. (Which is approx. 25-30 ft. ahead of you)

If this didn't help, think of wearing a half-shell helmet vs. a full-face. The chin bar of a full face blocks of some of your lower vision just like goggles do. Its the same concept.
Hope this makes sense!!

 As silly as the goggles might look with an open face helmet...last weekend I noticed my glasses were too scratched to use; I gave the open-face-goggles a try. I have to admit...it works really well.

 Thank you @CaptainVonAwesome It's annoying how people hate on them and they haven't even tried it yet.

 Here's another reason to go goggles: high speed riding can subject your eyes to irritants like dust and wind, and glasses often aren't enough. Over time it can develop into Pterygium, a condition also known as "surfer's eye."

It can be pretty miserable, and is generally treated with eye drops. Bottom line: my eye doctor recommends I wear goggles while descending as much as possible.

Some info from webmd: www.webmd.com/eye-health/pterygium-surfers-eye

 Gotcha, yeah looking ahead helps soo much, something I defiantly carried over form motocross to mtb. Bike follows the the legs, legs follow the hips, hips follow the core, core follows the shoulders, shoulders follow the head, head follows the eyes. I applaud the fact you rock the goggles for the fact of trying to be a better rider even if you get crap for it!

 Thanks man! That manual was awesome, love how the framing came together with the manual shot from the front with Josh jumping right behind me! Dogwood dell is just such a fast and fun loop! Ride on.

 Thanks! We really put a lot of hard work into this and it is great to see that people are enjoying it!! @jkad

 Thanks! White socks rocks!

 Thanks!

 Thanks! Hopefully we will have another video out this Spring or Summer!

 Go to the "Dogwood Dell Amphitheatre" and you will see a very tall structure called the "Carillon." Behind the Carillon is a cobblestone path/trail that leads to the trail. Pass the chain link fence and the trail to the right which is a walking trail. You should recognize the trail from the video after that. The whole trail is just one loop coming back up to the top. There is also an exit to the bottom which goes to a road.

 Alright thanks man!!

 I'm the guy with the goggles and I just would like to say before everyone makes fun of them: I wear them because they help me look further ahead. Looking further ahead allows for more reaction time when going faster, and it also helps with "pumping" through turns. As Aaron Gwinn said, looking ahead "slows down what is coming at you" so that you can react sooner and ride faster.

 Thank you though for the props @afish3r ! Sorry if that comment came across as defensive in any way. I just want to let people know!

 Awesome video! Proving good riders can and do ride in tennis shoes and white socks!